Tag Archives: courtesy

25 March 2026 – today’s press releases

  • More than 17,000 children waiting longer than a year in temporary accommodation
  • David Chadwick calls for Government action to protect Rural Community Transport Schemes
  • Greene: Aspiring politicians must campaign with decency
  • Greene: Offord and Reform should reject secretive crypto donations
  • Collien Fernandes: Renew Europe calls for EU action to close loopholes on AI deepfake abuse

More than 17,000 children waiting longer than a year in temporary accommodation

Scottish Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson and Central Scotland candidate Paul McGarry has today accused the SNP of “catastrophic neglect” as he published figures showing that over the past five years, there have been more than 17,000 children trapped in temporary accommodation for more than a year.

A Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information to every Scottish council asked for the number of children stuck in temporary accommodation for over twelve months in every year since 2020.

Of the 30 councils which provided the data, the responses show that:

  • Between 2020 and 2025, a total of 17,811 children were trapped in temporary accommodation for longer than a year.
  • This included a total of 10,147 children in Edinburgh and 3,742 children in Glasgow.
  • In 2024, 3,504 children waited over a year in temporary accommodation- the highest level of the five-year period.
  • Between January and October 2025, 3,126 children waited over a year in temporary accommodation.

It comes amid separate figures showing that the number of children currently in temporary accommodation has a reached a new record, rising to 10,480.

Scottish Liberal Democrat Paul McGarry said:

These figures lay bare the SNP’s catastrophic neglect.

As Housing Secretary, Mairi McAllan was supposed to offer a fresh start, but things have gone from bad to worse. Housing is clearly not a priority for the SNP.

Scottish Liberal Democrats have set out a realistic plan to tackle a lack of availability and poor-quality homes.

We want to see change with fairness at its heart, which starts by confronting the housing crisis head-on: getting more homes built, maximising existing stock and giving everyone a safe place to call home.

If you are disgusted by the SNP’s failure to build enough homes, no matter where you are, you can back Scottish Liberal Democrats on the peach regional ballot paper at May’s election and deliver the change that Scotland needs.

David Chadwick calls for Government action to protect Rural Community Transport Schemes

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick has called on UK Government ministers to urgently update outdated mileage rates for volunteer drivers which haven’t been updated since 2011, warning that community transport services across rural Wales are under growing pressure from rising costs.

Speaking in a debate on support for voluntary groups and community centres, Mr Chadwick highlighted the vital role community transport plays in keeping rural communities connected, particularly for older residents and those without access to a car.

Posted in Europe / International, News, Press releases, Scotland and Wales | Also tagged , , , , , , , and | 3 Comments

8 March 2024 – today’s press releases

  • Keegan remarks: Hardly surprising from gaffe prone minister
  • Khan’s Friday fares cut branded ‘pre-election gimmick’
  • McArthur writes to MSPs about timeline for assisted dying bill

Keegan remarks: Hardly surprising from gaffe prone minister

Responding to Gillian Keegan’s remarks at the Association of School and College Leaders conference, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said:

A Secretary of State talking about assaulting someone should be shocking, but for Gillian Keegan it’s just another day at the microphone.

Gillian Keegan has form and this is the latest gaff from a minister who has a potty mouth, an obviously quick temper and still thinks she is doing a good job. Hardly the qualities we should be instilling in our children.

Khan’s Friday fares cut branded ‘pre-election gimmick’

London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s Friday fares reduction trial has been branded a pre-election gimmick.

Posted in London, News, Press releases and Scotland | Also tagged , , , and | 1 Comment

Civilised disagreement – a target for 2021?

Some while ago, I was taken to task on this site for declaring that people had been the victims of conmen before and after the 2016 referendum. Apparently this was highly insulting to leavers although I was trying to emphasise the pain that goes with being lied to deliberately and made to feel stupid. It was a generalised statement and I can’t ever remember saying to an individual “You’ve been taken for a ride.”

In my own council ward two-thirds of the referendum voters opted for Vote Leave. This does not mean we treat them with contempt nor vice versa. The voters at local elections carried on voting for us. Some of them actually said explicitly that they disagreed with us about the EU but they supported us for other reasons.

As we move into the economic pain that is inevitable in 2021, the last thing on our lips should be “We told you so.” There will be those who will continue to see the EU as the source of all their woes but since there are now Conservative MPs who realise that they were sold a dud in the election of a party leader there will be ordinary voters who will sooner or later come to the same conclusion.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 10 Comments

23 November 2020 – welcome to my day…

Well, I’m back after a week off. The sun is shining, although the valley floor is shrouded in mist after a frosty night, so it’s not a day to linger unless you’re properly wrapped up.

In truth, I’d taken a week off because much of the joy of Liberal Democrat Voice has been rather lost of late. Attempts to disrupt the site by the use of fake e-mail addresses and, if I’m honest, the sheer grinding unpleasantness of some of our readers, made me wonder if the effort that I, and my fellow Editorial Team members, put in is really worthwhile.

I’ve always seen this site as an opportunity for Liberal Democrats, supporters of the Party and those who are “Lib Dem curious” to debate and discuss the issues of the day, propose new policy and campaigning ideas, and generally engage positively with each other in a respectful manner. It seems that there are too many out there who see it as an opportunity to settle old scores, browbeat or misrepresent those they disagree with or simply treat others with disrespect. It is, from an editorial perspective, wearing at best, deeply disheartening at worst. And, for the spirits of a volunteer Editorial Team, that can be a bit corrosive.

Posted in Site news | Also tagged and | 16 Comments

Welcome to my day – 1 January 2018: a (day) editorial thought for a New Year…

One of the unexpected advantages of being the Day Editor on New Year’s Day is that you can, perhaps, make a resolution for the year ahead. And nobody can stop you…

Mwah, hah, hah, hah…

And it dawns on me that, as the person technically responsible for moderation today, I have the tools at my disposal to actually change a small corner of the Internet, and make it a better place, if only for a little while. Call it “taking a stand for decency”, if you like. Or, as someone is bound to say, “censorship”… (you’re wrong, in the nicest possible …

Posted in Site news | 34 Comments

Opinion: I disagree with you. You must be stupid, incompetent or a liar…

I have to admit that, after nearly two years of being involved with Liberal Democrat Voice, I find the level of ‘debate’ a bit disheartening sometimes. Personal attack, accusations of the basest of motives on the part of the people with whom an individual disagrees, avowed certainty based on wilfully partial and selective use of the available data, all of these tend to make for a rather depressing window on what is said to represent political debate in this country. Add to that the presumption of motive on behalf of someone who is unknown to the accuser other than via …

Posted in Something for the Weekend | Also tagged | 102 Comments
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